Poinsettia Day



Today is Poinsettia Day. The poinsettia is really popular around Christmas. I remember as a kid having them most years but that all depended on what our cat at the time was like with plants and if we could keep it high and out of reach. Now doing a little research I found that Poinsettia's are not as harmful as I always thought.

Poinsettia's are mildly toxic to cats.

"The milky sap of poinsettias can cause irritation of the mouth and digestive tract. A cat that has consumed portions of a poinsettia may experience excessive salivation and vomiting due to irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, but this should clear up on its own.
If a cat has ingested a large quantity of the poinsettia, placing a call to a veterinarian or local animal emergency clinic is recommended just to be on the safe side. However, this is unlikely, as poinsettias aren’t particularly tasty."  Referenced from Suite 101

A little bit of Wikipedia info on the poinsettia. "Euphorbia pulcherrima, commonly known as poinsettia or noche buena, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico and Central America. The name "poinsettia" is after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant into the US in 1828. It is also called the Atatürk flower"

And here is one for the kids to color......

http://www.coloringpages.us/christmas-poinsettia.htm

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